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Restore Us!
(Psalm 80)
Andy Nagahara
0 For the director of music. To {the tune of} “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.
3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
4 O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
A. The change in us
B. The way we were meant to be
1. Our relationship with God as he intended
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.
12 Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it.
2. Salvation through restoration
14 Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine,
15 the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Summary
While many people are saying that life before and after the coronavirus will be very different, there are some who desperately want to go back to their lives as they were before this all happened. History doesn’t go in reverse. Life after the coronavirus will no doubt be different from life before. The reason why we long to go back to the way things were is because we long for the way we believe things ought to be. A restored relationship with God is what we should be longing for. The only way to get there is to let go of the past and move forward into the future following after Jesus.
For Discussion
- How were we originally meant to be?
- How can we get there?